There is a growing global consensus about the critical importance of groundwater for sustainable development and climate change adaptation. The World Economic Forum, in its Global Risks Report 2019, stresses for the first time that depletion of this critical resource is causing megacities to sink, with significant risks to water security and resilience, while also threatening food production systems.

Following the successful debut of index-based flood insurance (IBFI) in India’s Bihar State during 2017, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and its partners have continued their search for ways to make this tool more effective in helping farm families manage disaster risk. Bihar is the country’s most flood-prone state, with about 40 million hectares subject to periodic flooding.

IWMI/WLE contributed to and ran sessions at the 13th International Conference on Dryland Development, brought together national and international stakeholders to discuss sustainable dryland development under the theme “Converting Dryland Areas from Grey into Green.”

IWMI director general Claudia Sadoff was a guest of honor, addressing the inaugural session and also making a plenary presentation titled ”Water security and sustainable growth in the drylands.”

IWMI and ICAR organized a mini symposium during the conference to foster knowledge exchange among researchers on the present status and future prospects of water productivity in the drylands. The symposium aimed at framing a strategy to boost water productivity and mainstream it in drylands at scale through appropriate institutional frameworks and policies

A collection of opportunities for researchers working on sustainable agriculture issues: grants, workshops, journal calls, and related notices. Learn how to join the Thrive Network for Sustainable Agriculture Researchers.

Colombo is one of the first 18 cities that has been accredited as a Ramsar Wetland City at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP13) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on October 25, 2018.

The case for adopting climate-smart agriculture practices – which can improve productivity, build resilience and reduce emissions – has been underlined by a series of events at the United Nations climate talks in Poland. Via WLE and IWMI.

One-third of carbon emissions are absorbed by the earth’s biosphere. After forests, agricultural lands and wetlands have the most potential to do this. A panel of experts convened at COP24 last week to discuss ways in which this potential can be realized.

Study after study has shown that a lack of affordable credit to purchase pumps is the number one reason why more farmers in sub-Saharan Africa don't adopt irrigation. Until farmers find a way around it, there is a danger that the emerging revolution in smallholder irrigation could stall.

At the CSA Investment Advantage event, part of the larger Agriculture Advantage 2.0 event series at COP24, participants discussed ways to identify best-bet CSA technologies and practices for investment.